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Emmerdale Before The Plane Crash
Contrary to popular belief Emmerdale Farm/Emmerdale was fast-paced and dramatic before 30 December 1993 when the airliner hit Beckindale. Some viewers who only watched the show after the plane crash say the show was boring and all about farming and animals before that said crash and it was not watched much yet in 1978 viewing audiences peaked at 14 million and in the 1980s about 15 million viewers tuned in. I do agree the show did change a bit after the crash but was still popular and dramatic before. After the crash storyline of 1993, it just became more popular and dramatic events were played out more often over a certain period of time, thus increasing the pace of the show every so often. Emmerdale Farm was not "all" about sheepdipping, animals and Annie Sugden with her rolling pin at the farm, nor did it "only" show people sitting around drinking tea, smelling the roses and talking about how great life is. It was not an education on farming and animals but about the residents of that said farm and also featured the pub in the nearby village and occasionally the shop, doctors, mill and smithy. Some people seem to think that before the plane crash Emmerdale was all about sheepdipping and that "nothing" happened but if you watched pre-plane crash Emmerdale I am sure you would rethink your assumption as Emmerdale Farm was more fast paced than people think, and was not all about pigs and cows lol. Lots of long term viewers of the show who have watched it from the beginning or before the plane crash will probably know the show was quite action packed and was not like a TV edition of Farmers Weekly. In 1973 alone there was an affair between Jack and the lady of the manor, and a rape, murder, suicide, fire and a girl got injured when Henry Wilks was building his new pig unit. 1974 was quite humble but 1975 saw the war between the Sugdens and Gimbels then 1976 saw Matt Skilbeck's children killed along with their aunty in a road accident at a level crossing then followed by a pub move followed by a car crash at Emmerdale Farm and 1977 was a very dramatic year with a suicide, a live in lover scandal, a potholing disaster, 3 fires and a storm. 1978 and 1979 saw their fair share of dramas such as a shooting, a barn fire, a small fire at a chemical farm, a siege, a mine explosion and a rape and a motorbike accident. The 1980s saw many spectacular dramas such as a caravan fire, Pat Sugden's road accident, a murder, a hostage and numerous fights. 1982 was a year which saw more emphasis on the younger characters and the show became a bit more urbane. 1980 saw Jack Sugden angrily pushing a local reporter into a duck pond for spreading idle gossip about him, 1981 saw a tractor accident and a burglary at Emmerdale Farm, and in 1982 Jackie Merrick had a vicious fight with Teddy Hooson on a quiet country lane where they battered each other and dived into the river during the fight. And Jackie Merrick got drunk at the vicarage and almost trashed it with his sister and mate Andy. And more pop music was being played in the background. Also in 1983 Sandie fell pregnant while an unmarried teenager at almost 18. Jackie gave the father, his friend Andy Longthorn, a black eye when he found out the truth. The 1980s also saw Turners dramatic antics at Home Farm which included him being bombastic, using blackmail, gambling and womanising, and his sons love rat antics with Kathy Bates, Alan Turner's Home Farm days followed by Denis Rigg's nasty ways and the antics of Tom Merrick and Harry Mowlem. Then Jackie Merrick being knocked off his motobike in 1985 and falling down a mineshaft in 1987, the threat of a nuclear dump in 1987, the Crossgill fire of 1988 and Annie's addiction to tranquillisers in 1989. Also Jackie's shotgun accident. Then Denis Rigg was crushed by a bull. The early 1990s saw a tanker crash, a barn fire, Amos having a stroke and a few thefts involving Michael Feldmann. And Kim Tate had an affair with Neil Kincaid in 1992, the same year a child abuse scandal occurred in Beckindale. And at the 1992 Boxing Day Hunt, when Frank Tate found out about the affair, he gave Kincaid a good horsewhipping. And Zoe coming out as a lesbian. Also Eric trying to frame Michael for cheque fraud and theft of a Roman bracelet. See, Beckindale was far from sleepy before that plane crash. If people think Emmerdale was sleepy and boring before the plane crash then they are seriously mistaken and the reality check is it was not all about animals and farming matters and people sitting round drinking tea and smelling roses.